Little Fires Everywhere features a lot of strong performances but one of the strongest has to be from Reese Witherspoon as the over-organized, Type-A workaholic, Elena Richardson. While she isn't the only character whose actions are morally questionable, she could easily be viewed as the series' main antagonist even though part of the story is shown from her perspective at times.
Despite her attempts to come off as righteous, Elena has done a lot of horrible things during the series so here are the 10 worst things Elena did on Little Fires Everywhere.
Told Pearl The Truth
Quite possibly the worst thing Elena has done on the show was threatening to expose Mia if she still decided on testifying on Bebe's behalf, revealing that she was aware of who the Ryans were and that she knew Pearl was actually intended to be their daughter.
As if the threat wasn't bad enough, Elena reveals all this information to a vulnerable Pearl just to spite Mia for continuing to testify. This resulted in driving an even further wedge between Pearl and her mother and showed exactly how manipulative Elena could be.
Cheated on Bill
Her children and Mia aren't the only people that Elena has wronged, another person on that list is her husband, Bill. In episode 6, which mostly took place in the early '80s, we see a young Elena struggle with motherhood and how it affects her work as a journalist. During a moment of frustration, feeling overwhelmed having to deal with all four of her children without the help of her husband, she makes the decision to go meet up with her ex-boyfriend, Jamie.
The two share dinner and after a conversation about the state of Elena's life, they check into a motel and begin having sex. Before they can continue, Elena insists on leaving and says that it would be a mistake, and returns back home, choosing not to tell Bill where she actually was. In the finale, we find out that he had known already but decided not to say anything until finding out a similar incident had happened again.
Told Izzy
Elena and Izzy's strained dynamic was one of the series' main focal points and it reached its tipping point during the show's final episode in which Izzy, who was already emotional following her discovery that her mother had kicked Mia and Pearl out, attempts to douse her room in gasoline.
Elena comes to figure out what the commotion is about and then, in a moment of rage, she admits to her daughter that she never wanted her in the first place, much to the disgust of her three other children. That revelation is what ultimately convinces Izzy to sever ties with her mother and her family and leave the house.
Offered Bebe Money
After the incident where Bebe crashes Mirabelle's birthday party after finding out that she was actually the daughter she had been searching for, in an effort to help her friend, Elena took it upon herself to visit Bebe and offer her money in an effort to make her go away. This backfires when Bebe turns the situation back on her and asks if Elena would sell her children, catching her off guard.
Tried to Find Dirt on Bebe
When it seemed like the custody case was going to go in Bebe's favor, Elena's first instinct was to try and dig up some dirt on her in order to try and prove that she was unfit to be a mother similarly to how she did to Mia. This is what leads her to visit her friend, Elizabeth Manwill demanding information concerning if Bebe ever considered abortion or not, even trying to use the fact that she helped Elizabeth get that job as leverage when she refuses to share confidential information with her.
Called Mia a Bad Mother
In episode 4, we see Elena confront Mia about the events of the previous episode in which she lent Bebe her car and gave her the address of the McCollough's home.
During this argument, which results in Elena firing Mia from her job as the Richardson's "house manager", Elena states that Pearl, who Elena refers to in a positive manner, being the way that she is has nothing to do with her. She then goes on to call Mia a terrible mother which she says is something Mia shares with Bebe Chow.
Picked on Moody
Throughout the series, we get a glimpse of how Elena treats her children differently. While she makes it clear through her actions and words that Izzy is her least favorite, it seems obvious that her son, Moody, is next on that list. She is constantly seen picking on Moody and treating him differently than his older siblings. The reason why Elena does this is never clear but the best example comes in the series finale when she verbally attacks him when she believes that he got Pearl pregnant barely even giving him a chance to get a word in.
Cut Izzy Out of the Christmas Photos
In the series, Elena and Izzy argue with each other on numerous occasions. One of those instances was when the two argue over Izzy's desire not to put on a pair of shoes that her mother had requested she wear during their Christmas photos. After a few minutes of back and forth between them, Izzy begrudgingly obeys and puts on the shoes and takes the pictures.
When Elena later sees the photos, after already having them sent to the printer, she notices that Izzy is sticking out her middle finger. In a fit of anger, Elena just decides to cut her daughter out of the photos as opposed to retaking them for the 3rd time. She throws the cut off pieces in the garbage which Izzy later finds.
Her Racism
Despite what she may tell herself Elena has clearly racist tendencies. While the racism appears in more subtle ways like her constantly insisting that she is "colorblind" or refusing to acknowledge the privilege that she and her family possess simply by being white, the best example comes from the start of the series when she rents to and hires Mia mostly out of guilt for calling to police on her and Pearl in the first place based on her initial judgments.
Kicked Mia and Pearl Out
Near the end of the finale, we see Elena go over to Mia's place, fully prepared to throw what she believed to be Pearl's pregnancy in Mia's face and blame them both for "ruining her life" and almost "destroying her family", only to find out that Pearl wasn't the one pregnant and that it was actually her own daughter, Lexie. Realizing that she was wrong, Elena becomes even angrier, telling Mia that she wanted them gone by the next day and leaving too embarrassed to speak to Pearl after running into her as she was leaving the home.